Coffee lawsuit continues to drip through the courts

It’s a slow drip. The lawsuit filed against TV star Marcus Lemonis by Bow Truss Coffee Roasters founder Phil Tadros is still chugging through the courts. According to court documents filed last week, Lemonis will be deposed in the case in the coming weeks.

She’s the subject of an article. Hefner, the first child and only daughter of the late Hugh Hefner, reflects on her dad and the issue of grief since his death. In a lighter moment in the story, she says, “I’ve been overwhelmed by the outpouring of kindness in e-mails, cards and flowers. For a while there it looked like I could open a florist’s shop.”

If you don’t subscribe to Playboy, ahem, you can read excerpts of the story in People magazine.

Dick Duchossois

HONORS for Dick Duchossois. Washington and Lee University is naming its new indoor athletics and recreation facility after one of its most notable alumni–Chicago businessman Richard Duchossois, of the Class of 1944.

University President Will Dudley credited Duchossois with helping provide “top-notch facilities” for students. “But more importantly, Dick sets a personal standard to which we should all aspire. His leadership, humility, generosity and dedication to the service of others are an inspiration to all those who know him. We are indebted to him for his ongoing commitment to W&L.”

Washington and Lee is based in Lexington, Virginia.

Interesting note, the Duchossois Group is a major investor in Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby.

Mellody Hobson

ON BEING ‘COLOR BRAVE.’ In this era of #metoo, Mellody Hobson’s life story resonates.

The president of Ariel Investments recalled a 2006 political luncheon at which she was mistaken as a member of the wait staff.

“We didn’t yell or say anything… It just led me to joke — ‘That’s why we need more than one black person in the Senate’ — which at the time there was only one,” Hobson said.

Along with her high-profile role in business, Hobson is the first African-American woman to chair the Economic Club of Chicago. And she sits on the board of Starbucks and Estee Lauder.

“People tell me how color-blind they are. They say ‘I don’t even see race.’ I say to them ‘But you aren’t even noticing everyone around you is white,'” Hobson said. “Let’s start seeing it and talking about it and embracing these differences as opposed to trying to pretend they don’t exist.”

Roe v. Wade is the U.S. Supreme Court decision that gave women the right to decide on abortion.

State Heather Steans and U.S. Rep. Sara Feigenholtz were honored with the Richard J. Phelan Profile in Courage Award for their leadership passing House Bill 40 and their commitment to advancing reproductive rights in Illinois.

Actor, Oliver Platt served as the event’s honorary co-chair. He’s been in Chicago while filming “Chicago Med.” He attended last year’s event and I heard he had such a good time that he got other castmates to join in raising money for this year’s fund-raiser.

TOP DOGS. Some of the biggest names in Chicago’s legal world topped the annual Super Lawyer list by Thomson Reuters, a research-driven, peer-influenced rating service of lawyers.

Among the honorees: Tom Demetrio, co-founder of Chicago-based Corboy & Demetrio law firm and a voice in the debate about sports concussions. He and his firm represent numerous NFL and NHL players and the estates of deceased players.

Also on the list of top attorneys are Bob Clifford, Dan Webb and Tony Valukas, of course.

CUBS IN THE HOOD. When it comes to philanthropy, members of the Ricketts family really don’t give a lick about the North-Side-v.-Side-South-Side thing. The latest project is proof. Cubs co-owner Todd Ricketts is teaming up with South Side Pastor Corey Brooks, who heads New Beginnings Church for a June 1 fundraiser benefiting the Project HOOD nonprofit. That’s HOOD as in Helping Others Obtain Destiny. The Cubs certainly know something about destiny. (Not that the South Side Sox don’t!)

Project HOOD focuses on reducing violence and empowering young people to make positive decisions.

Rickets and his wife, Sylvie Légère Ricketts, co-founder of the (nonpartisan) Policy Circle, are co-chairs along with Richard Edelman, president and CEO of Edelman public relations and marketing firm. “We share Project HOOD’s vision that entrepreneurial activity can have – in fact must have – a positive social impact in our wonderful city,” Edelman said in a release announcing the event.

Marj Halperin

IT’S A REUNION! The cocktail party the other night at the University Club of Chicago felt like a reunion.

The event was put on by Hawthorne Strategies Group public relations firm to welcome two new team members: Marj Halperin, formerly of Marj Halperin consulting, and Wendi Taylor Nations, formerly the CMO of World Business Chicago.

Halperin, of course, is the behind-the-scenes fixture in mostly Democratic circles. She’s a friend to Mayor Rahm Emanuel and has represented big names in business and philanthropy over the years, including The Trust for Public Land.

She and Nations are now working with Hawthorne Strategies founder Gene Reineke, who has his own interesting background, too. He worked for a former gubernatorial offices of Jim Edgar and Jim Thompson.

Attendees included Jack Lavin, head of the Chicagoland Chamber; Emilia DiMenco, CEO of Women’s Business Development Center; Haven Allen, CEO of mHub innovation center; Myrna Farmer, chief of staff at World Business Chicago; Suzet McKinney, executive director of the Illinois Medical District; and PR consultant Leslie Fox.

“With the combination of Wendi’s guests, Marj’s guest and our guests, it felt like a mini-reunion,” said Hawthorne Strategies President Cynthia McCafferty. “The most common refrain was ‘I haven’t seen you in years!'”

Shia Kapos writes about people in power and position.
She's been published in People magazine, New York Times, Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago Tribune and Crain's Business, where she became a popular scoops and society columnist.
"Taking Names" offers up-to-the-minute news on deal-makers and Chicago's who's who.
Email confidential tips and ideas to shiakapos@gmail.com.